Following a review process that started in 2009 and was finalized in September 2016, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that five populations of humpback whales have shown very little signs of increase toward recovery, and are still listed as Endangered or Threatened.

The Arabian Sea population of humpback whale is the smallest, most distinct, and most at risk. Its range is believed to extend from the coasts of Yemen and Oman in the west to Iran, Pakistan and India in the east.